The Vikings declined center Garrett Bradbury's fifth-year option Monday, the team announced. The decision, which was widely expected, will make the 2019 first-round pick a free agent after the season.
Bradbury, the 18th overall pick out of N.C. State in 2019, was drafted as the team looked for an upgrade at the position over Pat Elflein, a third-round pick in 2017. But Bradbury struggled in pass protection, where he's had a particularly difficult time with powerful defensive tackles, and the Vikings benched him last season in favor of Mason Cole after Bradbury returned from the COVID-19 reserve list in November.